Tire building machine



1946. F. s. STERNAD I 9 20 TIRE BUILDINGMACHINE Filed Dec. 24, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 r7 EnfUL Frank 5'555175/2 Feb. 19, 1946. F, s E b 2,395,020

' TIRE BUILDING MACHINE Filed Dec; 24, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MEL flank" 5'525527547 Patented Feb. 19,1946

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE zsaaozo 'rnm nunnmc momma Frank s. std-ma, Cuyahoga rain, Ohio, asslgnor to The B. F. Goodrich Company, New Yo N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 24,1942, Serial mar-10.070

momma. (01. 154-10) 'livering strip material to the tire building former.

Construction of tire casings of large size requires use of a great many difierent strips, and apparatus proposed heretofore for storing and delivering the materials to the operator at the building form has in some cases been objectionably limited as to the number of diflerent strips which it could store and supply at one time. Prior attempts to increase the storing capacity have resulted in the rolls of stock interfering with each other in loading the apparatus, and correct alignment of the strips upon the building form has at times been diflicult.

Prior stock-carrying apparatus has also required much muscular exertion on the part of the I provide power-operated indexing to bring the desired stocks to the delivery position.

These and other objects will appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of apparatus constructed in accordance with and embodying the invention showing in full lines a plurality of stock racks in delivering position with relation to their sup porting mechanism, and in dot anddash lines showing the loading position of one of the racks, the tire building former and its drive being also shown, parts being broken away.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the former and its drive and one of the stock racks, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, parts being broken away.

Fig. 3 is a detail elevation of the lower part of one of the stock racks taken on line 4-3 of Fig. 1, showing a modification thereof, parts being broken, away.

Fig. 4 is'a side elevation, partly in section and taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1 of the supporting and indexing stand, parts being "broken away.

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view of the rack lock, taken on line 1-8 of Fig. 2. parts being broken we Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view taken on line 6-8 of Fig. 3, parts being broken away.

Fig. 7 is a detail view of the liner winding clutches and their driving chains and sprockets,

other parts not being shown.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated,

' a plurality 01 stock racks are hingedly supporti'gnates a stationary pedestal having a vertically disposed journal ll about which a rotatable means such as a table I2 is rotatably mounted. The table I! is formed at its periphery with a multiplicity of equally spaced knuckles l3 for supporting vertical pivot pins I 4 rotatable therein, to which are secured swinging stock racks [5. Each stock rack supports a plurality of stock rolls l6, l1 and is capable of being locked to the table 12 in position to feed stock or to be swung to one side, as indicated in the dot-and-dash line position of Fig. l, for loading purposes, the stock rolls and other spindles being supported by the racks in cantilever positions or at one side of the rack to assist in loading.

For rotating the table I2, a spur gear I8 is fixed thereto and is adapted to be driven by a motor i9 through aspeed reducer 20 which drives a shaft 2i to which a pinion 22 is fixed in position to.

mesh with the gear. 7

For stopping the table with its stock racks aligned with the building form, a locking pin 23. is vertically mounted for sliding movement on the pedestal l0, and the table I 2 is formedwith a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings 24 to receive the end of the pin. A double-acting fluid-pressure operated cylinder 25 is also mounted on the frame with its piston rod 26 fixed to the locking pin for moving it vertically. The electric motor 19 has a limit switch 21 in its control circuit and fixed to the pedestal l0. An arm 28 fixed to pin 23 holds the switch open when the locking pin ise'levated and closes it when it is lowered. The arrangement is such'that by supplying fluid pressure to the piston rod end of ,cylinder 25 through a pipe 29 and exhausting th'e closed end of the cylinder through a pipe 30, the locking pin is lowered, freeing the table for rotation and at the same time switch 21 is closed starting motor I8, and by then admitting pressure fluid to cylinder 25 through pipe 38 and exh'austing it throughpipe 28, pin 23 is forced upwardly against table I2 in position to. enter the next index hole and switch 21 is opened. A cam 2Ia is fixed to shaft 2I and a limit switch I88 is mounted adiacent thereto and' electrically in the motor circuit. This switch is normally closed but is adapted to be opened by cam 2 la after the table approaches its next stopping position. The table I2 is formed with a plurality of cam surfrom roll I8 'is carried up and over roller 88,

faces 35 corresponding in number to the stock.

racks and spaced circumferentially of the table. A band brake 88 engages about a cylindrical portion of the table and has one end fixed to the then down under roller I5 and then up and over when 88. The strip then proceeds under an idler roller 11 and along a swinging guide I8 onto the former or drum 88. The former is driven by a drive 8! and in pullingthe strip of stock raises roller arm 12.

pedestal I8. as at 81. The ctherend i pivotally connected to one arm ofa bell crank 88 pivotally fulcrumed on the pedestal at 88. The other arm of the bell crank stands in position to engage cam surfaces 85 as they pass and thereby to tighten the brake. The arrangement is such that as the table approaches a locking position, and limit switch I88 i opened, the brake is tightened and brings the table substantially to rest at the locking position where the pin/28 locks it in place.

Forlocking the stock racks l5 in position with respect to the table I2, referring to Fig. 5, a detent 48 is pivotally mounted at M to the rack I5 in position to engage a shoulder 42 of the knuckle I3. A spring plunger 43 is slideably mounted on the rack I5 and i forced by a compression coil spring 44 to hold the detent into locking position. A handle 45 is fixed to the detent. A stop screw 48 is threaded through a lug 41 on the knuckle and abuts against a shoulder 48 of the stock rack; It is held in adjustment by a nut 48. The arrangement is such that in the normal position of the stock rack, where its rolls are parallel to the tire former, the screw At the same time the liner 82'which separates the convolutions of the strips I8 on roll I8 passes from that roll about roller II, then under and about roller 18, then under and about roller 88 and then about stock shell 88 where it is rewound.

At the lower part of the stock rack similar apparatus for guiding the strip I88 from roll I1 and for rewinding the liner I84 therefrom is provided. The strip I88 passes up and over a roll I85, then over a roll 88, downwardly under aroll 84 carried by a swinging arm 88, then up and over a roll 81 and swinging guide 88 onto the former 88. Its liner I84 travels downwardly from roll I85 over a. guide roller 88 and under and about a roll 88 where it is wound up on a shell 8| supported by a shaft 82 carried by a swinging arm 88 pivoted at 84 to the stock frame.

For delivering the strips 18 and I83 substantially free from tension, an electric motor 85 is mounted on the stock rack I5 and is directly connected to a speed reducer 88. A sprocket 81 is fixed to one member 88 of a roller clutch, the other member 88 of which (see Fig. '7) ,is fixed to shaft-58. Sprocket 81 is connected by a chain I88 with a sprocket IN on the speed reducer 86. A similar u engages the shoulder as and the detent 4o engages the shoulder 42 so that the rack is locked against swinging on its pivot pin I4, and when it is desired to load the rack the handle may be moved to .release the detent permitting the rack to be swung in a clockwise direction as seen in Figs. 1 and 5.

The stock racks I5 may. all be of one construction and only one will therefore be described as follows:

For supporting the through the rack frame and has a brake disc 58 fixed thereto at one side of the rack frame. The other end of the shaft is squared in crosssection to receive a stock shell and has a collar removably secured at its outboard end to retain the stock shell. A brake 51 is fixed to the rack frame I5 and engages about the brake drum to act as a drag.

For rewindlng the liner, a driven roll 58 is fixed to a shaft 58, joumaled in the rack I5. A swinging arm 88 is pivoted on the rack frame. as at 8i and carries a shaft 82 about which a stock shell 83 is rotatably mounted. The shell 83 rests on the roll 88 and a liner passing over roll 58 will be wound upon shell 83. For holding the windup roll in its raised position, a cam latch IN is pivotally'mounted, as at I82, on rack frame I5. The-arrangement is such that as the rewind roll builds up it shaft engages the 'inclined cam surface and pushes the latch to one side until it has passed above the cam portiom whereupon the latch swings into retaining position by the force of gravitation. Shafts 84, 88,

roll I8 of strip material, a shaft is journaled near one end thereof.

roller clutch has one of its members I82 fixed to a shaft I88 to which roll 88 is fixed, and its other member I84 is rotatable about the shaft I88 and carries a sprocket I88 adapted to be driven by a chain I85 from a sprocket I88 fixed to clutch member 88 which isrotatable about'shaft 58. The two roller clutches are so arranged that one drives in a clockivise direction only and the other in a counter-clockwise direction only. Motor 85 is reversible and may drive the sprockets in either direction. The arrangement is such that when sprocket IIII is driven in a clockwise direction as seen in Fig. 2 liner 82 is drawn about roll 58 and rewound. and when driven in a counter-clockwise direction liner I84 is drawn about roll 88 and rewound.

For starting and stopping the motor 88 a rnercury switch H8 is mounted on arm I2 so that in the lowered position of the arm the motor circuit is opened and in the raised position of the arm the motor is started in a direction to drive the sprocket I8I counter-clockwise. A mercury switch III is also mounted on arm 88 and so arranged that when arm 88 is lowered the motor circuit is opened and when the arm is raised the switch is closed and starts motor 85 in the opposite direction.

equipment, such as the brake drum I2I.

12 returns to its lowered position by the force of gravitation and motor 95 stops. When the other strip I63 is drawn forward and pasted on the former and the former rotated, lever 86 is raised starting the motor 95 in the opposite direction and winding the liner I54 on shell 9|.

One or more of the stock racks I may be equipped to handle additional strips of stock as where a plurality oi narrow strips, such as chafing or bead-cover strips and breaker or filler strips are required. As shown in Figs. 3 and 5, which illustrate this modification, the stock racks for supporting such narrow strips are modified as fol-. lows:

The stock rack I5 is similar to that described above at its upper portion but at its lower portion the rack rotatably supports a squared shaft I similar to shaft 55 and having similar braking rack also supports fixed shafts I22, I23 and I24, about which freely rotatable guide rollers I25, I26, I 21 are respectively journaled. Strip I28 travels from the supply shell on shaft I20 over rollers I25 and I26 and under a roller I29 carried by a swinging arm I30 pivoted at I3I to the rack I5, then about roll I24 and over the guide 88 to the former. The liner I32 after leaving roll I25, which it approaches from the shell on shaft I20 with the stock strip I28, is led under driven roll I66 on shaft I03 and winds up on theshell I33 on shaft 92. Arm I30 has a. mercury switch I34 which controls motor 95 in the same manner as switch III previously described.

For supporting and feeding the bead-covering strips, a horizontal rod' I35 is fixed to rack frame I5 and this in turn supports a pair of brackets I36, I31 (see Fig. 6), fixed thereto." Bracket I36 carries a pair of horizontally disposed shafts I38, I39 journaled therein. Shaft I39 is provided with a brakedrum I40 fixed thereto at one side of the bracket. The other end of the shaft is squared to fit a stock shell I4I which supports a stock strip I42 and a liner I43 interwound thereon. A brake band I44 is fixed to the bracket I36 and contacts the brake drum I40 to apply friction thereto against overrunning.

Shaft I38 is similar to shaft I39 and is squared to receive a shell I45. It has a brake drum I46 which may also be engaged by a brake band mounted on the bracket if desired. Rod I35 also supports an arm I41 fixed thereto,-which in turn supports a shaft I48. A free-running guide roller I49 is rotatably mounted on shaft I48 between stop collars and in alignment with the strip I42. The arrangement is such that the strip I42 is led from shell I up and about shell I45 where its liner I43 is wound up and continues under guide roll I49, then over the swinging guide 88 between left side and one from the right side, but their operation is identical. The strip I is delivered over the same swinging guide 88 and strips The be drawn out in successibn and pasted on the tire form. By rotation of the form, the. swinging guide r011 I5, 84 or I29 depending upon which strip is being withdrawn, is raised by withdrawal of the strip, starting the motor 95 in the proper direction to receive the liner and assist in advancing the strip. When the strip has been laid about the form, the portion so applied is cut, by hand,v from' the remaining strip and released, whereupon the swinging guide roll I2, 86, or I30 is lowered by the release of tension, and stops the motor 95.

When the liner rewind shells are full they are retained by their gravity-operated latches. When stock rolls or liner rolls are to bev changed, the lever 45 is pulled away from the knuckle and the stock rack may be swung on the knuckle to a position. where its rolls may be removed and.

replaced. After replacement the rack may be swung to its feeding position and locked to the rotatable support.

The location of the stock racks for rotation about a vertical axis of the table and the locking means therefor, provide accurate alignment of the stock racks with building forms or drums of difierentdimensions, and the adjustment provided by set screws 46 and stops 48 provide for individual accurate alignment of each stock rack with the drum and provides for accurate return when the racks have been swung away from their locked positions for loading purposes.

When it is desired to move one stock rack out of alignment with the tire form and another into I alignment, the operator momentarily actuates a four-way valve (not shown). admitting pressure fluid to the top of cylinder 25 and exhausting the lower end. This lowers the locking pin 23 and simultaneously'starts motor I9 rotating the table or support I2. Release of the valve reverses it by spring pressure, but the locking pin has been withdrawn and is not aligned with an opening and the circuit to motor I9 is held closed by a holding circuit about limit switch 21. Durin rotation of shaft 2|, its cam 2Ia opens the limit switch I60 stopping the motor and simultaneously a cam surface on the table I2 applies the brake 36. In the meantime the pressure in pipe I28, I42 and I50 may be delivered simultane ously.

In the operation of the apparatus the swinging stock racks are supplied with stock rolls of strip material and empty shells for receivingthe liners, the ends of the liners are drawn from the stock rolls and wrapped once about the empty 29 has been released and has been applied to the lower end of cylinder 25 so that locking pin 23 is urged upwardly and enters one of the locking holes in the table as the hole becomes aligned therewith. v

The apparatus provides for handy storage and delivery of a multiplicity of different strips in accurate alignment with the building form, and it relieves the operator from much muscular exertion, thereby increasing the production of tires.

Variations may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as it is defined by the following claims.

I claim:v

1. Tire-building apparatus comprising means rotatable about an axis for supporting a stock supply, means for locking said rotatable means in a plurality of positions, power-operated means for moving the rotatable means from one looking position to another, brake means for counteracting inertia of the rotatable means as it approaches a locking position, and means responsive to rotation of said rotatable means for applying said brake means as the rotatable means approaches the locking position.

2. Tire-building apparatus comprising means rotatable about an axis for supporting a stock supply, power-operated means for turning the rotatable means about its axis, a pin for locking the rotatable means in a plurality of positions, a brake means for counteracting inertia of the rotatable means as it approaches a locking position, said brake means being normally out of braking contact with said rotatable means, means actuated by movement of the locking pin for automatically disconnecting the power from said rotatable means as the rotatable means approaches a locking position, and means in the path of rotation of said rotatablemeansior applying said brake means to said rotatable means as said rotatable means approaches a locking position.

3. Tire-building apparatus comprising means rotatable about an axis' for supporting a stock supply, and a plurality of stock racks carried thereby, at least one of said stock racks being hinged to said rotatable means for movement with relation to another stock rack thereon to provide additional room for loading purposes.

4. Tire-building apparatus comprising means rotatable about a vertical axis for supporting a stock supply, and a plurality of stock racks hingedly supported therebyfor movement relative thereto about vertical axes, each stock rack having means for looking it to said supporting means in a stock-feeding position. i

5. Tire-building apparatus comprising means rotatable about a verticalaxis for supporting a stock supply, and a plurality of stock racks hingedly supported thereby for movement relative thereto about vertical axes, each stock rack being ofliopen-side construction 'for side loading.

6. Tire-building apparatus comprising a tire former, a stock rack for supporting rolled strip material and an interwound liner, a movable guide mounted thereon in the path of the material for movement independent of the position of said former for guiding the strip material on its way to said tire former, power-operated means for rewinding the liner and advancing the strip material, and means controlled solely by the position of said guide independent of said former for controlling the application of power to said power-operated means.

'7. Tire-building apparatus comprising a tire former, a stock rack for supporting a plurality of comprising means for rewinding a liner therefrom, a single driving means rotatable in opposite directions for driving each of the rewinding means and clutch means, between said driving 6 means and each rewinding means, said clutch means being adapted to drive only in one direction and each clutch means being arranged for driving in a different direction for selectively driving said rewinding means.

9. Tire-building apparatus comprising means rotatable about an axis for supporting a stock supply, a plurality of stock racks hingedly supported thereby for movement relative thereto about axes parallel to the axis of the stock supply, each stock rack comprising stock supply means and liner unwinding means, and poweroperated means on said stock rack for driving said rewinding means.

10. Tire-building apparatus comprising means rotatable about an axis for supporting a stock supply, a plurality of stock racks hingedly supported thereby for movement relative thereto, each stock rack comprising a plurality of stock supply means and liner rewinding means, and

power-operated means on. said stock'rack for selectively driving said rewinding means.

. 11. Tire-building apparatus-comprising means rotatable about a vertical axis for supporting a stock supply, power-operated means for rotat- 80 ably adjusting said means about its axis, means for locking it in positions of adjustment, a plurality of stock racks, hinge means connecting said racks to said rotatable means at intervals thereabout, and means for locking said stock racks with respect to said rotatable means.

12. Tire-building apparatus comprising a pair of stock supply rolls, a liner windup roll for each supply roll for withdrawing a liner therefrom, a reversible motor, means including a clutch at 40 each windup roll for driving the windup roll from said motor, said clutches being each arranged for driving in one direction only, and each clutch being arranged for driving in a different direction. I

13. Tire-building apparatus comprising a pair of stock supply rolls, reversible driving means, means for driving one stock supply roll from said driving means when said driving means is rotated in one direction, and means for driving 50 the other stock roll therefrom when said driving means is rotated in the opposite direction.

1,4. Tire-building apparatus comprising means rotatable about an axis for supporting a stock supply, a plurality of stock racks carried thereby,

56 at least one of said stock, racks having hinge means connecting it to said rotatable means for movement with relation to another stock rack thereon to provide additional room for loading 

